# Hacker News Tech Reader vs Hacko for Hacker News

Hacker News Tech Reader and Hacko for Hacker News both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 94% of Hacker News Tech Reader's written reviews are positive against 67% of Hacko for Hacker News's. Hacker News Tech Reader also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Hacker News Tech Reader sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Hacko for Hacker News sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Hacker News Tech Reader against 4.6 for Hacko for Hacker News. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hacker News Tech Reader has 1.6K ratings behind it against 31, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of Hacker News Tech Reader's written reviews are positive against 67% of Hacko for Hacker News's.

Hacker News Tech Reader ships an update every 3 days, Hacko for Hacker News fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hacker News Tech Reader | Hacko for Hacker News |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-tech-reader-hack/id1464477788/reviews)** | [4.6 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacko-for-hacker-news/id6448201970/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.6K** | 31 |
| Positive reviews | **93.5% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 28 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Pranoy Chowdhury](https://appshunter.io/developer/952263202) | [Andrii Sievrikov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1568000284) |

## What reviewers say

### Hacker News Tech Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacker-news-tech-reader-hack/id1464477788)

This app offers a beautiful and intuitive way to read the latest tech, startup, and STEM news from Hacker News. It features customizable reading options, push notifications, and advanced search capabilities, all without ads or subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Ad-free and subscription-free experience, Push notifications for replies, Nested comment threads, Advanced search with filters, Customizable fonts and themes, Article sharing and archiving, Support for multiple browsers

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nice Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Kind Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Hack Premium | $12.99 | one-time |
| Amazing Tip | $12.99 | one-time |
| Godzilla Tip | $19.99 | one-time |


### Hacko for Hacker News

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hacko-for-hacker-news/id6448201970)

This client offers a unique way to navigate Hacker News discussions, keeping comments readable at any depth. Enjoy smooth navigation, custom boards, search, and a reading list for an enhanced experience.

**Highlights:** Alternative comment tree display, Maintains comment readability, Swipe navigation, Custom boards, Search functionality, Reading list

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip - Regular Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip - Big Tip | $3.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $5.99 | one-time |
| Tip - Large Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Tip - Huge Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hacker News Tech Reader free?

Hacker News Tech Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Hacko for Hacker News free?

Hacko for Hacker News is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Hacker News Tech Reader or Hacko for Hacker News?

Hacker News Tech Reader is rated higher. Hacker News Tech Reader averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Hacko for Hacker News averages 4.6 from 31 ratings.

### Do Hacker News Tech Reader or Hacko for Hacker News have ads?

Neither Hacker News Tech Reader nor Hacko for Hacker News shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hacker News Tech Reader or Hacko for Hacker News?

Hacker News Tech Reader ships an update every 3 days, and Hacko for Hacker News fortnightly. Most recently, Hacker News Tech Reader was updated on November 3, 2026 and Hacko for Hacker News on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*